{"id":42115,"date":"2026-01-14T12:40:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:40:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldofstudents.org\/?p=42115"},"modified":"2026-01-14T12:45:39","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T11:45:39","slug":"ready-for-south-korea-planning-and-preparations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldofstudents.org\/en\/ready-for-south-korea-planning-and-preparations\/","title":{"rendered":"Ready for South Korea: Planning and preparations"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Preparing for my semester abroad in South Korea<\/h1>\n

Hello friends! My name is Justin, I\u2019m 24 years old, from M\u00fcnster, and I\u2019m doing my Master\u2019s in Business Administration with a focus on Finance. Since my youth, I\u2019ve always wanted to travel to Asia \u2013 not just for a vacation, but to really immerse myself in the many different cultures. The best way to do this, of course, is to study there and experience the everyday life of the country firsthand.<\/p>\n

Now, as I am approaching the end of my Master\u2019s degree \u2013 and for whatever reason, I had no interest in doing a semester abroad during my Bachelor\u2019s \u2013 it was clear to me: if not now, when? For me, this was the last realistic opportunity to study abroad, and I definitely wanted to seize it. I quickly decided on the SolBridge International School of Business in Daejeon. It is a partner university of my home university, which made many things easier. I was also intrigued by the fact that Daejeon is a large city with 1.5 million inhabitants, but not as internationally influenced as Seoul. This way, you get a more authentic experience of Korean life \u2013 while the university itself is extremely international, with over 75% international students. For me, it was the perfect combination.<\/p>\n

Looking back, I can say that it is really important to start organizing early. The preparation period was much shorter and more intense than I had originally imagined \u2013 and, honestly, it tested my patience at times. Of course, you know that a lot needs to be arranged for a semester abroad, but you only realize how much once you are actually in the process \u2013 and understandably, not everything goes smoothly:<\/p>\n

1. Application to SolBridge: The application went through the International Relationship Center (IRC) at the University of M\u00fcnster, and World of Students was my constant companion, helping me with any questions. Everything was well-structured, and the SolBridge staff were also supportive. Still, I had to gather many documents, write motivation letters, submit transcripts, and prepare other required paperwork.<\/p>\n

2. Financing & Applying for Study Abroad BAf\u00f6G: The financial aspect was, for me personally and probably for most students, the biggest hurdle. Tuition fees at the university were over \u20ac3,000, so I would never have been able to choose this university without support from Study Abroad BAf\u00f6G. Fortunately, the cost of living in Daejeon is reasonable to very cheap. The only expensive items are fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, I submitted my BAf\u00f6G application a bit late, so make sure to do this as early as possible to have funds available from the start! The application itself was a bureaucratic project: proof of performance, rent receipts, insurance documents, and much more had to be submitted, but in the end, it was crucial support. World of Students, along with the Weltb\u00fcrger Scholarship and PROMOS, also supported me \u2013 without them, I could never have afforded it all.<\/p>\n

3. Visa process: The visa was by far the most nerve-wracking process. On top of that, I didn\u2019t even have a passport. It wasn\u2019t much better for my fellow students either. Most of us only received our visas 2\u20133 days before our flight. The reason was mainly that we had to complete the \u201c9-Step Admission Process\u201d at SolBridge first. Since we finished this only in mid-June, the next available appointment at the consulate in Bonn was mid-August, and it takes another week after that to actually receive the visa. I chose to send my application via Berlin, but my letter didn\u2019t arrive, which made it tight. The Berlin process also costs \u20ac70. Therefore, I would recommend booking your visa appointment early \u2013 even if some documents are missing, it\u2019s much easier to cancel the appointment than to miss your flight, haha. When I finally held my visa in my hands two days before my flight, it was an incredible feeling of relief.<\/p>\n

4. Accommodation & subletting: In Daejeon, I consciously decided against student dormitories because, based on experience reports, there is a curfew from 11:00 PM to 5:30 AM. If you\u2019re late, it\u2019s your own responsibility and you won\u2019t be allowed in. You also share a room with 1\u20133 other people, so you don\u2019t really have privacy. For these reasons, I chose an apartment instead. Fortunately, apartments here are very cheap \u2013 I pay only \u20ac260 per month for 26 m\u00b2. At the same time, I had to sublet my apartment in Germany, which also required careful preparation: rental contract, handover, communication with potential subtenants \u2013 everything had to be organized in time.<\/p>\n

5. Other To-Dos: International health insurance, international credit card, checking and updating vaccinations, adjusting mobile phone contract, pausing gym membership, organizing a SIM card, booking flights, comparing packing lists with classmates, and much more\u2026 A real highlight during this process was the support from World of Students. I could ask questions at any time \u2013 whether about the application, the visa process, or other organizational details. My contact, Marisa (who is no longer part of the team), always responded quickly, clearly, and helpfully. It was incredibly reassuring to have someone like her by my side who knew the process and kept track of everything. Especially during stressful phases, this was extremely comforting \u2013 and I can really recommend that you don\u2019t hesitate to ask questions and seek support.<\/p>\n

The preparation for my semester abroad was challenging \u2013 organizationally, financially, and emotionally. But now that I am finally in Korea, I can say that it has been worth it in every way! So if you\u2019re thinking about studying abroad \u2013 go for it! You won\u2019t just get to know another country, but you\u2019ll also grow immensely as a person.<\/p>\n

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Weitere Infos zum Auslandssemester<\/h3>\n

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